Insomnia

...ba href=/insomnia/a/b because so many things are on her mind.

She takes some simple expert advice and writes down her next day's plans, avoids caffeine and does relaxing exercises before bed.

And it works.

Besides giving such elementary advice, "Sleep" also illustrates some unusual violent sleeping problems, interviews a performance artist who creatively uses her dreams, and interviews a dream analyst.

Oh, and Olympian short track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno shows up because, well, he's Olympian Apolo Anton Ohno.

Those segments didn't put me to sleep, but they seemed like a big waste of time because their problems were so unusual.

The working mother's problems were much easier to embrace because they seemed, well, similar to mine.

Except for all the child care and housework.

Gupta, who enlivens things by getting involved in some high-tech sleep experiments, would have been better off focusing on the normal rather than the unusual.

His prime-time special did teach me a thing or two about sleeping and TV.

But I disagree with one piece of advice.

He says experts believe that having a TV in the bedroom is a very bad idea and can ruin a good night's sleep.

I've actually found that, on many nights, falling asleep while watching late-night TV can be almost as effective and long lasting as taking Ambien.

• My sleep habits are put to the test during CBS' coverage of the NCAA men's basketball tournament on WIVB-TV, which heads into the region...

...ba href=/insomnia/a/b, tension, or drug dependency.

It also means the true problem might go untreated.But the frequency of misdiagnosis is a mystery.

ADHD doesn't show up on X-rays or blood tests.

It's a series of behaviors that has to be examined in context and evaluated subjectively.

Parents often learn that their child might have ADHD when a teacher informs them of suspected behavior.

This raises suspicions: Are some teachers using ADHD to control unruly students, particularly boys, who are naturally more rambunctious?

Are parents seeking an edge for unfocused children who are struggling academically?

Are time-pressed doctors handing out prescriptions based on little more than a 15-minute chat and a teacher's note?

Experts vehemently disagree about overprescription and whether the risks outweigh benefits.

But if guidelines issued in 2001 by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) were rigorously followed, much of the debate would fade.

Those guidelines call on doctors to collect a child's medical, developmental and educational history, plus behavior reports from the home and school.

That all takes time and money, of course, in a society that likes fast fixes and magic pills.

It also can't be achieved with hard and fast rules.

Rather, it requires a systematic attempt to change attitudes, so that the drugs are not the instant choice.

In this, the experience with antibiotics is instructive.

Overuse has made some bacteria resistant, creating "superbugs" that could make some infections unt...

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